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In Search of True Public Arts Support
Author(s) -
Brooks Arthur C.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
public budgeting and finance
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.694
H-Index - 30
eISSN - 1540-5850
pISSN - 0275-1100
DOI - 10.1111/j.0275-1100.2004.02402006.x
Subject(s) - subsidy , the arts , liberian dollar , government (linguistics) , revenue , economics , meaning (existential) , direct tax , public sector , private sector , public economics , business , tax reform , political science , finance , law , market economy , economic growth , psychology , economy , linguistics , philosophy , psychotherapist
Most of the debate over government arts support focuses on direct subsidies to nonprofit arts organizations. In this article, however, I show that a much larger amount of public sector money comes from indirect aid, in the form of tax revenues forgone on tax‐deductible contributions by individuals. Specifically, every dollar in direct federal arts funding is accompanied by about $14 in indirect aid. Analysis of the 1996 General Social Survey shows that private givers and supporters of direct government aid fit different demographic profiles, meaning that direct and indirect funding owe to distinct constituencies. These findings lead to a number of implications for nonprofit and public arts managers. It is sometime proper for the state to encourage and protect dishonorable but useful professions, without those who exercise them being more highly considered for that. Jean‐Jacques Rousseau 1